The Environmental Management Secretariat for Latin America (EMS) has taken the initiative to extend an invitation to the “International Forum on Managing Sustainable Urban Development in Latin America.  The Contribution of Knowledge Networks”, to be held in Montevideo, from 21 to 23 February, 2001.

The meeting will foster the exchange of experiences and opinions among representatives from government institutions, international agencies, regional networks and experts in the management of sustainable urban development.  The event will allow for the coordination of activities to tap on the knowledge networks as an opportunity to enforce common action lines for training, communications and cooperation among different social actors involved in the management of urban environmental issues.

The decentralisation of Latin American governments is facing a critical stage in the process of building the capacity of institutions in charge of implementing urban environmental management policies.  The growing difficulty to implement policies to control environmental degradation in cities –particularly in areas affected by the growth of marginalised populations—affects the perception of governments as to the complex nature of these problems and their roots in social policy.  Intervention attempts face significant obstacles due to the weakness of regulations or to difficulties in decision making on the part of technical teams.  On top of this, the globalisation age puts Latin American small and medium urban realities in a position where they need to adapt to international environmental regulations, as sine qua non condition for sustainable development.  The different government levels express their need for information on holistic and participatory approaches that allow for assessment and decision-making processes that are efficient, legitimate and socially responsible.

Thus EMS has deemed it timely to convene this Forum that will gather selected representatives from international governments and institutions interested in these issues with the purpose of exchanging views, experiences and solution proposals in favour of a sustainable and socially integrating urban development in Latin America.

Aware of the need to identify and advance coordinated action models between public and private institutions in the search for alternatives in sustainable urban development, the EMS has been working on the creation of a regional knowledge network to approach this issue.  On this basis, the EMS is aiming at sharing and analysing --together with representatives of other institutions with the same interests-- the main challenges and effective alternatives for change, in view of this issue.

The EMS is an International Secretariat created in 1996 that develops its activities from the Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Office of IDRC – International Development Research Centre.  Through the promotion of knowledge development, dissemination, and networking based on the new information and communications technologies, the EMS has helped governments in several cities find practical solutions to their urgent problems and challenges posed by urban environmental management.  Its main objective has been to build the capacity of government institutions so as to relate with representatives from the civil society.

Thus EMS has deemed it timely to convene this Forum that will gather selected representatives from international governments and institutions interested in these issues with the purpose of exchanging views, experiences and solution proposals in favour of a sustainable and socially integrating urban development in Latin America.

This Forum will devote three days – Strategy, Technical Seminars and Workshop—to the production of recommendations on the role and strategy of knowledge networks in the management of sustainable urban development that can be implemented through the EMS.

We are pleased to extend to you this invitation to the Forum. We will shortly forward you the corresponding Tentative Programme and List of Participants.  

We look forward to your presence at this Forum and we are confident that this activity will derive tangible benefits to cities and populations and will create permanent communication and coordination links among participating colleagues.

Sincerely yours,

Dr. Federico S. Burone
Executive Director
EMS